First of all, beets. Rich in vitamins, fiber, minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties, beets are a nutritional powerhouse. I’m trying to eat more of them, since I only discovered that I liked them fairly recently.

Beets are one of those things that “kids don’t like.” Like meatloaf. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT? OK first of all, I don’t know how meatloaf got a bad reputation. It’s basically a giant meatball. And what could be better than that?

But beets! Good Lord, they’re delicious. Sweet and earthy, with a crisp but soft texture and the most beautiful color.

I’m making up for lost years by getting as many as I can! And thank goodness, my toddler loves them too.

The addition of cucumbers, dill, fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and a little bit of feta cheese add to the delicious taste and nutrition of this beet salad.

It’s the perfect Mediterranean Diet recipe, packed with plant-based goodness and dressed in the healthy fats found in extra-virgin olive oil.

If you’ve never cooked with beets before, they can be a bit intimidating.

As a shortcut, you can use canned beets for this. Canned beets are delicious, and it’s a great way to enjoy them even when they aren’t in season.

But if you want, you can roast your own beets. It’s super easy to do.

Just trim the greens off (if they come with them), wash them clean, wrap them in foil individually, drizzled with about a tablespoon of olive oil, and bake for about an hour at 400 degrees F.

After they’re done, wait for them to cool. Then, they are super easy to peel. You can just use your hands to slide the skin right off!

But that brings me to another point- red beets are VERY red. And they will stain things. If you have marble countertops or other surfaces that are easily stained, be careful. And if you are concerned about your hands getting red, wear gloves. The dye scrubs off after a few washes, but it is kind of a pain.

As an alternative, you can always make this with golden beets! They taste almost identical to red beets, but are far less messy, and are still a gorgeous color.

If you have leftover beet greens, don’t throw them out. You can use them as you would spinach or kale- add them to soups, sauté them with some scrambled eggs or throw them in a frittata, or eat them in a salad.

Another thing to keep in mind: the red color of the beets WILL turn everything pink in this beet salad. It’s actually quite pretty, in my opinion.

But if you want to maintain the purity of all the different ingredients when you serve it, I recommend saving a few cucumbers, some feta, and some dill to sprinkle on top after everything else is mixed together. That’s what I did when I took these photos.

Instructions

To make the dressing: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the lemon juice and kosher salt together until the salt is dissolved. Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil gradually, whisking as you go, in order to incorporate all the ingredients completely.

Place the beets in a large bowl. Add half the dressing to the bowl and mix together. Let sit while you prep the remaining ingredients.

Just before serving, add the cucumber, feta cheese, fresh dill and remaining dressing to the bowl and toss together.

Notes

If you like, you can reserve a little of each ingredient to top the salad on a serving platter so everything isn’t bright pink (if you are using red beets).

Red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar can be substituted for the lemon juice, if you prefer.

Using canned beets is a great shortcut, but if you prefer to cook your own beets, you can roast them wrapped in foil with 1 tablespoon of olive oil at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes, depending on how big they are, then peel them once they are cool enough to handle (the skin will come right off). You can also cook them in your slow cooker or instant pot.

I do my best to provide accurate nutrition information for my recipes, but I am not a nutritionist. The provided nutrition information is my best estimate. It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.

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Hi, I'm Elizabeth! I create easy, real food recipes for busy people. I'm a former high school art teacher from New England, now full time food blogger near Austin, TX, where I live with my hubby and two baby girls, Zoey and Eleanor. Learn more!

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Hello! I’m so glad you’re here.

Hi, I'm Elizabeth! I create easy, real food recipes for busy people. I'm a former HS art teacher, now full time food blogger. I live near Austin, TX with my hubby and two baby girls. learn more!

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